Shady characters
Edibles
While most vegetables prefer the sun, some don’t mind a bit of shade – namely salad and leafy greens (Asian greens, lettuce, rocket, silverbeet and spinach); brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts); root vegetables such as beetroot, carrot, radish, swede and turnips; onions (chives, garlic and shallots); and beans and peas.
Shade-tolerant herbs include coriander, dill, mint and parsley. Coriander, in particular, really does not like too much heat. Given it, it will bolt, that is go to seed, putting all its energy into flowering rather than in producing the tasty leaves. Sow carrots, leeks, onions, parsnips and radishes direct, but make sure you have worked soil to a fine tilth beforehand.
Hold off sowing (or planting) outside aubergine, basil, corn, courgette, cucumber, pepper (including chilli), pumpkin and tomato for another fortnight in all but the warmest parts of the country.
Mound up potatoes to about half the height of the plant with earth, straw or compost to protect the actual potatoes. This can be done every week or so during the growing season.
Ornamentals
There are plenty of dahlias to choose from.
Plant dahlia tubers about 7cm deep, 30cm apart in full sun. They do best in rich, well-drained soil but will tolerate other soil types. Incorporate plenty of compost or well-rotted manure into the soil before planting, keep well-watered and feed with a potash-rich fertiliser once flowers appear. To maximise flowering, avoid nitrogen-rich fertilisers.
Continue planting gladioli for a long summer-flowering period.
Remove dead flowers from tulips to stop them setting seed; rather their energy is best directed toward growing the bulb and its offsets.
Do not remove (or mow) any bulbs’ leaves for at least eight weeks after flowering. Bulb regeneration is through photosynthesis via the leaves. Removal of leaves is only done for aesthetics not for the health of the bulb.
Feed spring-flowering bulbs with a liquid fertiliser, or mulch around them with compost.
Prune flowering shrubs and trees after flowering. Give fuchsias a good prune to encourage flowering.
Treat yourself to a day or portion thereof of gardening heaven by going on a garden tour – November is usually full of them. They are also sure to inspire you to try something different in your own garden, and your entry fee will be helping a local charity.
Keep new lawns damp – dryness is fatal to young grass.
– Mary Lovell-Smith